Back to Work
Hey everyone, and welcome to another update from Spain. This month has been busy as work has gotten back into the full swing of things, and we've been having lots of different meetings as a team to plan for the next project that we're gonna be working on. It will be a year long series going through the book of acts from the perspective of planting churches in a hostile environment. This month we were able to do a practice shoot to test out exactly how we wanted to film it. And thanks to that practice we were able to learn how we need to work together, how we need to communicate better,… Read more
Being Clay Hurts
10/21/23 - Senior Year of College I’m frantic. Juiced up on adrenaline. There’s no thoughts, just a one track determination. We’re tied and we need to win this game. If we don’t, we’ll miss playoffs for the second year in a row. Win. That’s all that matters to me as I’m scanning the field, trying to get organized on defense. Then, the other team’s centerback plays a desperate ball over my defender's head that would have been out of reach for most people. Not me though. Exhilarated, I rush towards the ball. Their winger’s chasing it, but it doesn’t matter, I know I’ll get there… Read morePost Support Raising Reflections :)
When I saw that I finally met my initial fundraising goal, I felt quite emotional. Not only was this super huge part of my preparation process completed to help me be able to actually leave for the field, but I began to think more about what all of this meant. This meant that so many people had sacrificially given to support my living and ministry expenses while serving. I was overwhelmed thinking about the people who opened their schedules to meet with me. Who turned to prayer to seek the Lord in discerning how to use their gifts and resources. Who rearranged parts of their budget in… Read moreAugust Breakthroughs
August Breakthroughs It’s been a long month and this is a long newsletter, but it’s worth the read! I hope you find time to sit down and catch up on what the Lord is doing here in Quito, Ecuador! Take Two: Cuicocha Edition In November of last year, my best friend and coworker, Anastasia, and I attempted to hike Cuicocha. Key word: attempted. The trail is a 12 km (about 7.5 mile) loop around a crater lake. We hiked for about two hours and only made it to kilometer marker three before a storm rolled in. Honestly, I was relieved—it felt like an excuse to stop, because at that point I… Read moreNavigating the Waves of Chaos
Sometimes as I find myself sitting in seasons of waiting, such as I have in recent months, chaos seems as if it comes and goes in waves. At one moment, all feels at peace, and it’s easy to sit and declare my trust in the Lord and where He has me. Other times, it feels like I’m sinking in an ocean of impatience and everything around me is in utter chaos— my emotions, my relationships, and even the way I carry myself in day-to-day life. The latter weeks of August have felt like this ocean I can’t help but sink in, no matter what I do in an attempt to pull myself out. I’ll be transparent… Read more
See What Great Love The Father Has Lavished On Us
Thankfulness. If I had to choose a word to encapsulate this month, it would be thankfulness. Thank you, Lord, because as I reflect back on this past month, I'm overwhelmed by every blessing, experience, and relationship that is nothing short of an expression of your grace. Thank you to my ministry partners. In the words of Paul, "I thank my God every time I think about you, brothers and sisters," and it's true! Everything from serving on the Camino de Santiago to traveling to Paris is because of your partnership. So thank you for your generosity that has given me the… Read more
Humble Sacrifices
The past few months we've been preparing for the School Supply Drive that we hold every year at the end of August and the beginning of September. One of my coworkers and I are in charge of calling each Amada (beloved woman we serve) who hasn’t received school supplies in past years to find out if she has a child, nephew/niece or grandchild who is studying, gather the beneficiary’s information, and give her the details of the event, until we fill the 100 spots available. It’s a long and rather difficult process that we start at the beginning of July to be able to finish on time. This whole… Read more
Seen & Known
On the side of the highway in Somewhere, Tennessee, next to my dented car and still a little bit shaken, I felt a still small nudge in my heart to look up. Psalm 147: 4 - He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names. It had been a while since I had been in a spot where other light sources were insignificant enough to allow me to see so many stars in the sky. But at this moment, I saw them in abundance. I saw so many so clearly. And God knows exactly how many there are and knows them all by name. Incredible. For the hours I was driving before this semi… Read moreLearning to Surrender Impatience
I’ll be honest, waiting kills me. As much as I’d like to consider myself a patient person, it’s definitely a fruit that the Lord is stretching me to grow in. I tend to want to make things move as quickly as possible and often attach my own timelines to various things. Spoiler: This never ends up well. I’ve always known I wasn’t the most patient person, but didn’t realize the degree of my impatience until this month. I’ve just recently begun running again, and anyone who knows running knows it takes time to build endurance and speed. On one of my runs within the first week back, I found myself… Read more